Folding-machine.



lFOLDING MAGHINE. APPLIOATIOB I 'ILBD DBO. 30,1905.

Unir-nn sfrafrns "Parse onmen- EUGENE n'. BROWN, oF TnoY, ANew YORK.

, .l Specificatz'um of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. s, 1907.

Application filed December 30,1905. Serial No. 293,903.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that EUGENE H. BRowN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy,in the county or Rensselaer and State of New York, has invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Folding-Ma-l chilies, of which the following is a specification'.

My invention relates to machines for folding the blanks of collars and cuffs, and usually callediolding machines, and the objects of my invention are to provide an attachment by which thecollarand cuff blanks nzay be, removed mechanically from the folding machine, after the edges are turned by said machine,

and laid in smooth and compact piles without the operator taking hold of them with his hands. l attain these objects by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

In the manufacture vof cuffs and collars, the blanks' trom which they are made are placed upon the heated bed or support of a folding machine. The die or former of the shape desired is then pressed down upon the blank and infolders fold the edges of the blank over the die, while the blank is upon the heated support and press the folds either before. or after the withdrawal of the die. Thus making smooth edges of the goods, ready to be sewed or stitchedl and in the shape desired. July 9th, 1901, Letters'Patent of the United States #678,094 were issued to me for such a folding machine for collar and cuff blanks. One part of my present `invention is designed as an attachment to such or similar machines, by which the blanks, after being folded and pressed upon the bed of the machine may be removed thereirom .and vplaced in smooth,

accurate and compact piles mechanically, as above stated. Another part of my 'present invention is designed to lock the die upon the `collar or cuff blank so that the edges will be folded ovethe edges of the die and be pressed thereupon ythe die before the die is withdrawn and -while it remains within the folds, thus insuring a more uniform, accurate and ,smooth fold and the diebeing collapsed after the blank is folded the edges of the die are thus withdrawn from the fold f without disturbing the accuracy and smoothness oi the fold. l l

. Referring to the annexedl drawings, vA.,.represents lthe bed of a folding machine, on which the blank oi a vcollar or cuff is placed; B represents the die or former for pressing the blanks upon the bed, A.

C, is the handle attached to the die B, by which the die is brought'down andpress'eduponthe blank, as described in my above named patent. The drawings oi my former patent, however, show a die adapted for folding the edges of a cuff' and therefore designed to fold the edges on iour sides while the drawings filed herewith show a die for folding a collar and therefore adapted to fold only the three sides necessary to a collar.

i D, D', D, are sliding bars extending lengthwise over the bed, A, constructed to lie flush with or slightly below the surface ofthe bed plate, A. Attached to eac'h sliding bar D, just back of that portion o the bed plate occupied by the collar or cuff blank upon which the die descends, is a section d, one end of which springs slightly above the surface of the bed plate as shown in Fig. 3. When the infolders, or any other part of the machine, presses dow:vr upon this part o the sliding bar it is pressed'down below-the surface of the bed plate and when the pressure is removed it vextends slightly 'above the surface of the bed plate and.` is so arranged and adapted that when the sliding bars are moved forward the projecting sections d, d, will engage the edge of the cuff or collar blank, push it over the bed plate and deposit it upon the yielding table, l.

N, N, are arms connecting the handle, C, with the die or former and by means of which the die is collapsed by moving the handle as d'escribed in my former patent.

The die or former is composed of sections of thin narrow plates. When the die is collapsed these plates and the arms, N, Nlie compact together in the center.

llfhen the die is spread by the arms, N, N, in position to ypress the goods being folded these sections are opened up, occupying the edges of the form and leaving a space in the center between the inner edges of the sections, B,`B, as shown in Fig. l. O is a block of suitable form and construction to entend upward through this space when the die is open in position to press the goods. It is obvious when'the block, 0 is in this position that the die can not be collapsed. The block, Ol',`y is attached to the lever O3 which turns'on the pivot O2. The block O, and the end" of the lever on thatJ side is heavier than the other end of the lever, so that when at rest the block, O, is below thebottom of the die, when Itheinfolders move over the die, one of the infolders the die. The block, O, is so constructed and 'arranged that it will not come in direct Contact with or. press against the blank being folded. If the die being used is for folding collars or other blanks on three sides only there is space by the side of the blank within the spa'ce between the inner edges of the sections of the die for thel the goods to be folded and the infolders fold the edges of the goods over the edges of the die, the die is thus locked.

down upon-the goods and can not be collapsed or" removed until after the'infold'ers-` press the folds upon the lie while the die is within the folds, thus securing a perfectly smooth, accurate and uniform fold ready to be stitched or'sewe'd and not too hard or stiff for that pur; pose. After the goods are thus pressed bythe infolders over the edges of the die, the infolders are removed and .the block, IO, drops down from contact with the die, and

the die is then collapsed allowing the-folded and pressed blank to rest upon bed overthe slidingbars, '.D, D, in front of the raised sections, d',

E is a connecting bar, .to which the rear Aends of the sliding bars,'D, are fixedlyv attached. G is an elbow crank having two arms at right anglestov'each other. The elbow, Gr, is attached under the machine by a' pivot, g, to some substantial part of i the machine. Hinged to the front' arm of the elbow, G, at g is the rod, J, having a foot pedal Jf, adapted to be operated by the person operating the folding machine. Hinged-to' the rear arm of the elbow, G, at gZ is the connecting bar, H,

which is connected by the arm h, to: the bar, E, and arranged so that when the operatorpresses upon the foot pedal'J, it will turn the elbow crank', G, upon the Apivot g, thus bringing forward the connecting arm, H, andthe connecting bar, E, which will shove forward the sliding I, represents a yielding table in front of the machine attached to a bracket, P, by the post I", which is adapt-j' ed to 'slide ldownward through an opening -inthe bracket, P, and holdthe table in the position desired by a' friction spring, of any .desired construction,l acting .upo'n 4the post I, as the spring, S, so that the yielding table, I, maybe moved up or down as desired, andwill .remain in any position placed.

;F,'IF`,F, F, are guides, two on each side of the yield* ingtable', I; Lis a stationary shelf ortable resting upon -or attached to bracket, P; K is a pressure plate attached to the die,- B, by the brackets K', Kif rI-wo of the I guides'F, which are adjacent tothe-bed plate, A., are a,

lime higher than bed plate A, with smsoth'beveied sur-A faces extending fro'rnthe. top surface lof' the bed plate,

'j plate, A; the operator takesonefof the-collar or cuff.-l

A, and do not interfere with the ymovementof the sliding bars, D,\or with the collarsor cuffsfsli-ding over -thein.`. .y

4The operation of'my machineis as follow@ The collaror cuff blanks which are desired to be folded are placed uponthe table, L, by the operator; 'the yielding table,

I, is raised to about even with the top surface of the bed blanks and adjusts it upon the bed plate, 'A, in position,-

.suding bars extending lengthw machine and below or flush wl plate; projections .upon said ars back of the bed plate` the blank' and turns the edges of the blanks over the edges of the die, B, by the infolders, as commonly used in folding machines and as described in my patent #678,094. After the edges of the blanks are folded and pressed as above `described and the die arid infolders removed therefrom, the operator places his foot upon the' pedalllf', which turns the elbow crank, G, and by means of the connecting arm, H, and the connecting bar, E moves the sliding bars forward,.so as to carry the collar or cuff blank out over and beyond the top beveled edge of theguide, F. The sliding bars, D, are then slid back to place, andas they slide backward the top ends of the guide, F, catches the collar blank and deposits it upon the yielding table, ,'I.' Then the next blank is placed upon the bed plate and the same operation isrepeated `and as .the part' carrying Ather die, B, descends presses and folds the second and following blank, the presser plate, K, presses the blanks already deposited -upon the yielding table, I', and pressesthe yielding table downward, a d istance equal tothe thickness of the goods forming the blank; the arm K', being adjusted at such a length as to allow the pressure bar, K, to descend upon the operator,` while he has his hands ready to prepare for the next operation. The guides, F, F, adjoining the .yielding table operate as catches to remove the goods from the sliding bars, D, to the yielding-table, and the goods are piled evenly, carefully and accurately, upon the yielding-table without being disarranged or 4soiled as they would by beinghandled by hand.

lVhat. l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a 4machine for foldingicollar and cui blanks of `the type having a collapsible die; lnfolders for folding and pressing the blanks vover the'edges of the die upon the bed of the machine; a blockadapted tont'between sections of the die, thereby preventing the die from collapsing; a-lever with said block mounted upon one end thereof; said lever so arranged and constructed that the inthe yielding table, I, aproper. distance for that purpose. By the usd of thisattachment the work'is piled accu- 'rately and trulyupon the yielding table by the foot of folders will press down the other end of the lever when machine and below or iiush with the surface of the bed plate; projections upon said bars back of the bed lplate .of the machine extending above the plane of the surface of the bed' plate, and adapted to engage a 'blank folded and pressed thereon; means for propelling` said sliding bars .fox-ward,A whereby-the collar or cuff will be. movedover the bed plate beyond the front of they machine; catches adapted to'cngage said blank when the sliding bars return whereby said blank willbe retained and dropped in front of thel machine; a yielding table in front of said machine adaptedft tached pgthe die and adapted toapress upon the blanks .when sited upon sadyieldingtable, substantially as descri and for the purposes se vforth. v

3. h a machine for folding" ,foliar and cuir blanks;

acrossthe bed of the of the machine extending ya .ve the plane of the surface of the bed plate, and adap e/d to engage a blank folded and press'edthereon; a toet-pedal attached to an elbow receive .said blanks when v deposited thereon` 'by said siding bars and said catches; a presser plate atthe surface of the bed 'bars Wherebyvsald' sliding bars may be propelled forward by pressing upon said foot pedal and thereb moving the blank forward over the bed plate beyond the front of the machlne; catches adapted to engage said blank'when the f sliding bars return whereby said blank will be retained and dropped in front of the machine; a yielding table in front of said machine adapted to receive said blanks when deposited thereon by said sliding catches; a presser plate attached to the die and adapted to pressupon the blanks when deposited upon said yielding table, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a machine. for folding collar and cud blanks. of the type having a collapsible die; means for locking the collapsible die when the die is upon the blank being folded in the machine while the die is pressing the goods upon the hed of the machine, infolders to fold the edges of the blank over the die; sliding bars extending lengthwise across the bed of the machine and below or nush with the surface of the bed plate; projections upon said bar back of the bed plate of the machine extending above the plane of the surface of the bed plate, and adapted 'to engage ablank folded and pressed thereon; an elbow crank, a foot pedal attached thereto; rods connecting said elbow crank to said sliding-bars; whereby said sliding bars mayl be propelled forward by pressingl saidsfoot pedal and bars and said thereby meting the blank forward over the bed plate beyond the front of the machine: catches adapted to engage said blank when the sliding bars return whereby said blank will be retained and dropped in front of the machine,

a yielding table in front of said machine adapted to receive said blanks when deposited thereon by said sliding l bars and said catches; la presser plate attached to the die and adapted to press 'upon the blanks when deposited upon said `vielding table, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a machine for folding collar and cul blanks of the type having a collapsible die; infolders for folding and pressing the blanks over the die; a lever with a block on one end thereof; said block adapted to come in contact with and lock said collapsible die when said die Vis upon the blank on the bed of the machine; means whereby said infolders will operate said lever thereby causing said block to lock said die when said infoldcrs are pressing said blank over said die, substantially as ,described and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence ot two witnesses.

EUGENE n. BROWN.

Witnesses WALTER E. WARD, DUnLE B. WADE. 

